BE MY HUMAN CANVAS: THE WORK OF TATTOO ARTISTS IN SINGAPORE

Abstract

Seeking to understand the tattoo artist as the tattooer, the artist, and the entrepreneur, this thesis navigates Singapore’s tattoo industry, centering on the work of local tattoo artists. The success of the tattoo artist is both the cause and the effect of the gradual but definite shift in perception of tattoos from vandalism of the skin with its contradictory associations, as a deviant practice and a celebrated artform. This dual phenomenon sees the tattoo artist using the position of tattoos as a craft, a deviant, and an unconventional artform, to ride on growing trends and thrive in an economy and society seeking novel experiences. Primarily an ethnographic paper, this thesis draws upon stories from local tattoo artists, observations of the spaces (both physical and digital) of tattoo studios, and conversations with tattooed individuals. Relevant concepts of cultural and social capital and intimate labour inform reflections on the social history of the tattoo industry, and the careers, marketing, branding, and adaptability of tattoo artists. “Will you be my human canvas?” This thesis invites the reader to reflect on the underrated work of tattoo artists behind the ever-changing phenomenon of the tattooing craft.